St-Pierre Plamondon, Fréchette meet on Quebec transition

Quebec premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and outgoing Premier Christine Fréchette met for just under 50 minutes in Quebec City on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and both promised an orderly transition before the new government is sworn in on Oct. 21.

The meeting took place at the premier’s office in the Honoré-Mercier building, according to the premier’s public agenda for the day. The two leaders made statements afterward but did not take questions, Le Soleil reported.

St-Pierre Plamondon said the talks covered the economy, relations with the United States, data on certain companies, unemployment and Churchill Falls. “We are looking at an orderly transition, marked by collaboration,” he said (translated from French).

Fréchette said it is important “to ensure a co-ordinated, proper transition” (translated from French), and that the two teams will share information.

St-Pierre Plamondon is expected to unveil his cabinet next week, Global News reported. His team cannot officially move into the premier’s office until the Oct. 21 swearing-in. Newly elected Parti Québécois members of the National Assembly are scheduled to take their oath as MNAs on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The Parti Québécois won 59 of the Assembly’s 127 seats in the Oct. 5 election and will govern as a minority. The Liberals, with 40 seats, will form the official opposition, followed by the Conservatives with 19 and Québec solidaire with nine. The Coalition Avenir Québec, which governed since 2018, was wiped out, and Fréchette resigned as its leader the day after the vote.

Churchill Falls is likely to be among the first files for the incoming government. The agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador, reached in a preliminary form in December 2024, would see Hydro-Québec invest $45 billion in a new 2,700-megawatt plant at Gull Island, a 1,275-megawatt expansion of the existing Churchill Falls plant and transmission, with supply guaranteed to Quebec until 2077.

During the campaign, the Coalition Avenir Québec accused St-Pierre Plamondon of wanting to tear up the deal. He denied that, saying he would verify every detail of the agreement. He had called the preliminary deal “humiliating for Quebec” (translated from French).

Neither leader gave figures or specific measures from the meeting on the economy or employment.

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